The Like - June Gloom

Wed 29th Mar, 2006 in Music Reviews

Pop: commercially produced popular music, often made up of simplistic and repetitive melodies and lyrics.

Alt Pop: commercially produced popular music, often made up of simplistic and repetitive melodies and lyrics, trying to pass off as something more intelligent. See also: The Like.

When I first heard of The Like, I tried not to let my distaste for the band name determine my opinion of them. After listening to June Gloom, it turned out that wasn’t going to be a problem.

June Gloom is the first single off the debut album, Are You Thinking What I am Thinking, and it sounds like another bland pop song. It opens up with a dull drum beat which continues on throughout the song. In come guitar riffs that make mediocre shifts into the chorus and bridge, with a pace that’s unexciting and unmotivational. Now come the vocals. Instead of being used to add depth and intrigue with their misty quality, they come off as nothing new and are wasted on bland lyrics such as:

Words don’t change a thing
Sun disguises darkness
Wish that I could save you
Wish that I could stop this

In fact, the whole song is made up of lines that are about 5 words in length. That kind of technique could work when done right, but this is not the case. What are lines like ‘we’ve capsized in our end’ supposed to mean? They’re as mystifying as the band name itself and come off as fake emotions that were made up to fit a certain style.

All in all, it just seems like they could have done something more than add to the already massive pile of pop songs. It makes you wonder what the motivation for writing this song actually was. Was it money, a simple result of a lack of talent, or do they really get enjoyment out of writing such songs? Whatever the reason, it’s not doing much to enrich your ears.